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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby
@markkirby.bsky.social
610 followers 240 following 380 posts
Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford. Architectural historian, C17 church architecture & furnishings. Chairman of Council of the Ecclesiological Society.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 4h
The Bayerische Staadtsbibliothek is one of my go-to resources for good quality scans of early modern books. The download arrangement is a bit complicated and I use the auto-translate button. Amused by what looks like a weary "yeah, yeah ... whatever" to confirm I have read the T&Cs.
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
carolecadwalla.bsky.social
Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 1d
My colleagues & I have taken a huge gamble to set up @thenerve.news We’re trying to build a new independent publication from the ground up. Social media is our only distribution for now.

Sharing this article in your networks would make a huge difference. Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏
carolecadwalla.bsky.social
Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 2d
NEW: The British politician, his Russian intelligence handler & a Kremlin plot against the US & Ukraine.

My new piece about Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage for @thenerve_news in which we ask:

Why, even now, is no-one asking questions?

t.co/BUTtpK9C4S
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
londontopsoc.bsky.social
London Topographical Society @londontopsoc.bsky.social · 2d
We have just joined BlueSky! Since our foundation in 1880, we have reproduced an unrivalled selection of historic maps, plans and views of London. We also publish books and monographs containing original research. See more of what we have to offer at: londontopsoc.org
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 1d
Here we are. These are of the library in its 1906-75 home, built by Read & MacDonald. The bookcases are 1738/39 & were relocated from their previous home. The new library was built with the same dimensions as the old, so this gives us our best idea of what the previous one looked like.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 3d
We have some from when it was in its second home (Read & MacDonald, 1906) but none from what is now the SCR. I'm away at the moment and will post some from the 1906 building on my return.
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
mcculloughp.bsky.social
Peter McCullough @mcculloughp.bsky.social · 4d
Celebrating 50 years since the conversion of one of Oxford's most iconic buildings into one of its most beautiful libraries @lincoln.ox.ac.uk (Yours truly also in the slideshow getting very excited showing things from the historic collection.)
lincoln.ox.ac.uk/news/lincoln...
Lincoln Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Library | Lincoln College Oxford
Lincoln Library 50th Anniversary
lincoln.ox.ac.uk
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
thedailyshow.com
The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 4d
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
dezeen.com
Dezeen @dezeen.com · 5d
David Chipperfield Architects transforms Saarinen-designed US Embassy into The Rosewood Chancery: www.dezeen.com/2025/10/09/david-chipperfield-architects-us-embassy-the-rosewood-chancery-london/
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 5d
Rebuild the Tuileries now! 😀
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 5d
It would have been for "supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation", ridiculous though that seems.
markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
and do what it can to strengthen our safeguards against the risk of future abuse.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
We only have to look across the Atlantic at the dismantling of the rule of law by Donald Trump (Farage’s hero) to see how fragile many of our own constitutional safeguards are. This is deeply concerning and the government needs to bear this in mind in all that does in day to day affairs ...
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
but she did not even do that, nor was she even legally required to do so. She should be.
This is an extremely worrying situation for us to be in. ...
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
that neither Parliament nor the public is not entitled to know why the decision has been made. I would take some reassurance if the Home Secretary had at least shared the analysis with the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament ...
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
without any accountability on the part of the people who are advising ministers. In a scenario which is far from inconceivable, we have to ask ourselves whether we are prepared to accept a Farage government having that same power and being able to say, apparently legally, ...
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
There is a massive and dangerous constitutional point at issue here which goes beyond PA. While I appreciate that there may be confidential intelligence which has fed in to the Home Secretary's decision to classify PA as a terrorist organisation, we are being asked to take it entirely on trust ...
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
I repeat, I do not approve of the arrest of Palestine Action protesters. He was arrested for that - wrongly in my view. The police did not say to themselves, "People who have a copy of The New World must be arrested."

More generally, since you ask:
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 6d
That's not a fair representation of what happened though, is it. I don't approve of arresting Palestine Action protesters, but the man wasn't arrested for having a copy of The New World. It is SO important that we on the Left are rigorously honest and that we don't behave like so many on the Right.
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 6d
The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth
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Reposted by Mark Kirby
barristersecret.bsky.social
The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · 7d
This is a lie.

There are many criticisms you might sensibly and truthfully make of the Sentencing Council and the Sentencing Guidelines. I’ve been making them for years.

But this is an outright lie. Pure fabrication. A fraud on the public.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 8d
I'd recommend @anneapplebaum.bsky.social who writes for The Atlantic among other journals.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 8d
Do try to get in to the Lord Mayor's Chapel. Not always open, unfortunately.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 9d
This was a tremendous speech. All our politicians should read it.
anneapplebaum.bsky.social
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 10d
exact quotation, and other relevant sections of the speech, translated here:

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...
"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy
“We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.
defenddemocracy.eu
markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 12d
Wow. Italians bringing Renaissance architecture to London in 1553. Must have seemed like something from outer-space in half-timbered London.
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markkirby.bsky.social
Mark Kirby @markkirby.bsky.social · 12d
Highlight for me was @mcculloughp.bsky.social talking about the book of romantic poetry which Rector Fitzherbert Adams inscribed to an anonymous lady (just her initials) but seemingly never had the courage to give to her. Heart-breaking. The stuff of novels & movies.
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